KL Rahul has played 36 Tests in his career, the last of them being on the tour of West Indies last year. (File Photo/Reuters)
KL Rahul, who has been in sparkling form in recent times, has not been included in the Test squad named for the bilateral series between India and New Zealand to start later this month.
Rahul was the highest scorer in the recent T20I series in New Zealand, and was also named the Man of the Series. With Rohit Sharma having been ruled out, many expected that Rahul would be rewarded for his recent form with a recall to the red-ball squad. However, Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal have been named as the three openers in the squad.
KL Rahul not making it to the Test squad is surprising. He’s got three Test tons outside Asia. Talent-technique-temperament was never a question—it was only about current form. And he’s in RED HOT form now. Why not put him at the top again? #NZvInd
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 4, 2020
I thought the absence of Rohit and the form of KL Rahul would lead to a comeback for him. But clearly the selectors want him to do more in red ball cricket and have gone with those at the top of the queue.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) February 4, 2020
Surprised to not see KL Rahul in India’s Test squad for the two-match Test series against New Zealand. #INDvNZ
— Pankaj Ahuja (@panku_) February 4, 2020
However, there have been reactions in favour of the move to not recall Rahul as well, considering that Rahul has emerged as India’s lynchpin in the shorter formats in recent times. With the T20 World Cup around the corner, and Rahul’s past troubles in adapting to changes of formats, the team management do not want to throw him into the red-ball mix just yet.
Rahul has played 36 Tests in his career, the last of them being on the tour of the West Indies last year. He has a highest score of 199 in the format.
I’m glad KL Rahul wasn’t named in the Test squad. That’s probably the last thing India’s T20 squad needs. Keep him white-ball only for the foreseeable future, keep the confidence going. No need to mix up form and formats.
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) February 4, 2020
KL Rahul’s T20I average is higher than his ODI average which is higher than his Test average by a long shot.
(45 > 43 > 34)
If only the team mgt sort format selections#INDvsNZ
— Gaurav Sethi (@BoredCricket) February 2, 2020
India Test squad: Virat (Capt), Mayank, Prithvi Shaw, Shubman, Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), R. Ashwin, R. Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Ishant Sharma